


Serious Business

by burntotears



Series: Malec Prompts [2]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec is All Business, Fluff, M/M, Magnus Likes How Alec is Growing as a Person, Shadowhunting is Srs Business
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-19 01:05:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11302569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burntotears/pseuds/burntotears
Summary: When Alec glanced over at him, he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “What are you grinning about? This is a serious situation.”





	Serious Business

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt: “We’re running low on time here.”
> 
> Drop me some prompts [over at my tumblr](http://burntotears.tumblr.com)

Alec looked around warily. This was not the ideal place to be performing magic rituals no matter how long they took. “We’re running low on time here, Magnus,” he said impatiently, bow string still taught under his fingers as he circled around the warlock, looking into the darkness for any sign of danger.

“Yes, thank you, Alexander. I’d nearly thought I was vacationing in Kamalame Cay for a moment there. Consider my reality checked,” Magnus deadpanned in response, blue magic still swirling around his fingers as he examined the dead downworlder sprawled on the ground in front of him.

Alec sighed and looked over at the other man for a brief moment. “Sorry,” he replied, knowing he wasn’t being helpful. It was an unfortunate part of his personality - he could never turn _off_. “I just don’t want to get caught unaware by whatever this thing is that killed him.”

Alec hadn’t said ‘seelie’, hadn’t called him ‘downworlder’, but had referred to the fallen warrior as a person rather than a thing. In the short time he’d grown to know Alec, Magnus had seen his innate prejudices morphing into something more human than shadowhunter. It was a fascinating transition to watch from the outside and it also made Magnus unduly proud. Alec was the perfect man to lead the New York Institute into the future.

Magnus looked over at Alec, all tense muscles as he circled around the warlock with his bow drawn. “I don’t think anyone is going to catch you unaware like that.” He’d almost finished his examination of the murdered seelie, but he couldn’t get a trace on the foreign object on the warrior’s body. It was frustrating, though he was trying not to let it take over. Alec was frustrated enough for the both of them.

“We have to be prepared for anything,” Alec responded automatically with a shadowhunter field line he’d probably repeated hundreds of times before this. For some reason it made Magnus smile.

When Alec glanced over at him, he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “What are you grinning about? This is a serious situation.”

Magnus nodded in exaggerated agreement, his smile broadening. “Yes, of course it is. I would never think to minimize the danger we face.”

Alec wasn’t convinced. “Magnus, this isn’t a laughing matter.”

“It absolutely is not,” the warlock replied in complete seriousness, but he couldn’t seem to remove the grin that plastered itself to his features.

“Then stop smiling!” Alec said, aghast. He tossed his arm out in frustration and the arrow he had nocked on his bowstring fell to the ground, which only served to add to his growing irritation. 

Magnus finished his spell and stood, facing his boyfriend, the smile still alight in his eyes when he looked at the flustered shadowhunter who was bending down to quickly retrieve his stray arrow along with his pride. Magnus could physically see him trying to assuage his annoyance back to that stoney preparedness he always wore on missions. He reached out and brushed an invisible nothing from Alec’s shoulder. “I apologize for flustering you, Alexander.”

“What? I’m not flustered. Why would you say that?” Alec’s tone was exasperated, his movements ruffled like an uncomfortable animal under Magnus’ scrutiny. 

“Right. Of course. Should we portal back to the Institute and report our findings to the rest of your team?” Magnus ignored the question because while he did enjoy admiring the blush that crept up Alec’s neck, he hadn’t been wrong about lingering being unsafe.

He created a portal and took Alec’s hand, squeezing it as he guided the younger man through to the safety of the Institute. Alec sheathed his wayward arrow back in the quiver and eyed Magnus uncertainly. “You didn’t say what you were smiling about out there,” Alec pointed out.

“Well, Alexander, _you_ make me smile. Surely there’s nothing wrong with that?” he squeezed Alec’s bicep.

The goofy grin that graced the shadowhunter’s face was like a ray of sunshine. He loved seeing that smile on Alec more than anything else. “Alright,” Alec replied slowly, the blush bright on the tips of his ears. He leaned in to plant a quick kiss on Magnus’ lips but was interrupted by Isabelle and Jace asking for an update on the mission. With an apologetic smile, he turned to his team and began to brief them on the recent attack.

Well, okay, maybe Magnus enjoyed all the facets of Alec’s demeanor - it was hard to deny the allure of his partner as he doled out duties to his subordinates. He always had been attracted to a man of power.


End file.
